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Has Grover Norquist And His Anti-Tax Pledge Reached The End Of The Road?

English: Grover Norquist at a political conference in Orlando, Florida. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yet another prominent Republican has added his name to the list of those for whom the allure of the Grover Norquist “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” has lost its luster.

Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) has announced that he will no longer honor his commitment to the Norquist pledge wherein he promised not to raise taxes under any circumstances whatsoever. Appearing on a local Georgia television program, Chambliss said, “I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge. If we do it his way then we’ll continue in debt, and I just have a disagreement with him about that.”

While Chambliss expects Norquist to push back on his defection by supporting a primary challenge to Senator Chambliss when he stands for re-election in 2014, Chambliss has decided to take his chances, noting, “But I don’t worry about that because I care too much about my country. I care a lot more about it than I do Grover Norquist.”

While Saxby Chambliss’ sentiment is admirable, is it possible that he has done the math and concluded that the Norquist modus operandi of going after any Republican that dare defy him just doesn’t pack the punch it once possessed?

Judging from the 2012 election results, there is reason to believe that Grover Norquist’s days of bullying candidates into doing his bidding may be a thing of the past.

Going into the elections, 279 Congressional incumbents—along with 286 challengers—had signed the anti-tax pledge. However, at a time when the polls point to an overwhelming number of Americans favoring a rise in the tax rates for the nation’s very wealthiest, some 57 Republican House incumbents or challengers who signed the pledge went down to defeat while 24 GOP sitting Senators or those seeking a seat lost in their race.

Included among the high profile, pledge-signing losers were Senator Scott Brown (R-MA), former Wisconsin Governor and cabinet member Tommy Thompson (R-WI) and two-time loser Linda McMahon (R-CT). Over in the House, long time Congressmen Dan Lungren got beat after a constituent publically challenged him for signing the pledge while two GOP incumbents who had received direct funding from Norquist’s organization, Americans For Tax Reform, in an effort to save their seats, were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, GOP Senate leaders such as Bob Corker (R-TN), John McCain (R-AZ) and Tom Coburn (R-OK), have become more vocal in their opposition to Grover Norquist and his tactics as has leading conservative voice, Bill Kristol.

Adding what might be the final nail in the coffin for Mr. Norquist’s brand of political blackmail is the fact that the likely GOP frontrunner for the party’s presidential nomination in 2016, Gov. Jeb Bush—while highly supportive of keeping taxes low—has steadfastly refused to sign the tax pledge saying, “I don’t believe you outsource your convictions and principles to people.” The younger Bush follows in the footsteps of his father, President George H.W. Bush, who earlier this year made his own feelings completely clear when he remarked, “The rigidity of those pledges is something I don’t like. The circumstances change and you can’t be wedded to some formula by Grover Norquist. It’s – who the hell is Grover Norquist, anyway?”

Good question—who the hell is Grover Norquist, anyway?

While he has managed to become more famous than most, at the end of the day, Grover Norquist is a lobbyist.

In fact, according to Jack Abramoff—the disgraced lobbyist who went to jail after entering a guilty plea to three criminal felonies involving defrauding American Indian tribes and corrupting public officials—Mr. Norquist’s organization served as a conduit for funds that flowed from Abramoff’s clients to surreptitiously finance grass-roots lobbying campaigns.

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I wonder if the corrupt system which allows lobbyists factually buy congressmembers votes has reached such extreme that these parlamentarians, which only loyalty by law is towards their constituents, now formally sell their vote to a private person o group, payable with assumption of campaign cost.

Have the congressmembers which signed the pledge to Norquist not forfeited their membership, enforzable by court order if they do not recant??

Can Mr. Norquist not be charged with bribe of Congress members??

In any other democratic country, above would happen immediately!!

But of course, these other countries have not a 200+ years old, then great constitution, manipulated by jurists at their convenience, now protecting delinquents and used by its hypocritical admirers to advance their agendas. And it is not tolerable that a constitution does not offer remedies if one of its powers fails to perform its duties or is paralyzed by despicable methods as filibustering, excessive power of some of its members. And many other less than democratic procedures, as allow break down of government, open politization of the judiciary and so on.

Even so, above stated actions again the delinquent Congress members and Norquist could and should be implemented

I never have understood the power this unshaven slob wields over elected members of Congress — short of the fact that, when it was quite stylish to be against taxation under any circumstances, they signed. Then came the real-politic of having to lead, of having to fix things that were broken, of having to find the money to actually reduce the deficit born of unfunded wars and tax breaks. And Grover sits on the sidelines with his bullhorn, responsible to no one. It’s about time Republican leadership started calling this phony out for what he is.

The GOP leadership, as far not taken over by the Tea Part, which obviously is complice wih Norquist, is powerless.

To get rid of him, some legal action should be filed against him and the signants of the pledge. . Obviously, this would not be a short process but would scare them and accelerate the Chambliss effect!

How and who should file lawsuits I do not know, I am no lawyer! Advise would be appreciated!!

They haven’t broken any laws so I don’t think legal action is the appropriate remedy. All that is necessary is that people require their elected officials to think for themselves and stop signing pledges to anyone by their constituents and the country.

The Norquist “Pledge” has hurt our Nation, by freezing debate, our do nothing Congress. It is time for it to go. The debt problem will never be solved from one side of the issue. We need cuts and we need revenue increase. Our government has not shrunk with this pledge it has just become ineffectual in dealing with its finances. My “Taking the Tea Party Republican Tax Pledge” is on YouTube link; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfk6eVoUGPM